Paul Ramadier

Paul Ramadier (born March 17, 1888, La Rochelle, France—died Oct. 14, 1961, Rodez) was the first premier (January–November 1947) of the Fourth Republic of France.

After receiving his doctorate in law from the University of Paris, Ramadier became an advocate at the Paris Court of Appeals. He became mayor of Decazeville in 1919 and represented Villefranche-de-Rouergue in the Chamber of Deputies from 1928 to 1940. In 1936–37 Ramadier served in the public works ministry in Léon Blum’s first Cabinet. During 1938–40, Ramadier served as minister of labour in the cabinets of Camille Chautemps and Édouard Daladier. Refusing to support the Vichy regime during World War II, Ramadier worked for the Résistance.

With the formation of the first government of the Fourth Republic under a new constitution in 1946, Ramadier was appointed premier, and he subsequently formed a left-of-centre coalition government. His government proved barely able to cope with a succession of postwar crises involving food shortages, labour unrest, native resistance to French colonialism in Indochina, and squabbles between the Communists and other coalition members. Ramadier resigned in response to the growing loss of support for his government.

From 1952 to 1955 he served as president of the International Labour Bureau, and for a short time in 1956 he held the post of minister of finance under Guy Mollet.